


Tonight I’ll Drift In A Dream With You

by tehfanglyfish



Series: Sleep [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bathing, Canon Era, Caring Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Deviates From Canon, Established Relationship, Exhaustion, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, exhausted merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:08:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22807588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehfanglyfish/pseuds/tehfanglyfish
Summary: After spending a week away from home to stop a magical attack, Merlin returns to Camelot exhausted. Arthur takes care of him.Set some time in the future after"Come Back To Bed"but easily reads as a standalone.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Sleep [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1565566
Comments: 41
Kudos: 678





	Tonight I’ll Drift In A Dream With You

**Author's Note:**

> The author is also very tired. And probably should get more rest, as having an entire series devoted to sleeping is clearly the sign of a problem.
> 
> Title comes from the Dixie Chicks’ “Lullaby.”
> 
> Not my characters, not my franchise, no profits for me!

Merlin couldn’t remember ever having been this tired.

He’d experienced more than his fair share of exhaustion over the years, taking care of Arthur, assisting Gaius, keeping Camelot and its king safe. But this was different.

Maybe it had been the hard ride. Time had been of the essence, so he had traded off mounts as he made his way to his destination, preferring to swap horses rather than wait for them to rest. For three days he rode, dozing periodically, but for the most part awake.

Then there had been the attempts at diplomacy. Despite Arthur’s repeal of the magic ban and efforts at welcoming magic users into Camelot society, there were still some sorcerers who held on to the rage they’d felt for Uther, now directing it at his son. When Merlin heard that there was again talk of violent retaliation for the Great Purge, he rode out, hoping that this might be the time he would successfully convince them to see reason.

“Arthur isn’t his father,” Merlin told them. “He’s different. He…”

“Keeps a pet sorcerer,” one of them sneered. “You’d rather warm his bed than fight for your own people.”

Negotiations had only gone downhill from there. Not only did it become clear that they could not be dissuaded from their plans for vengeance, but their hostility toward Merlin intensified. And while they were ultimately no match for him, it was draining, both physically and emotionally, to fend off the hexes and spells leveled at him. He left them alive, their magic temporarily bound, and in the care of Iseldir.

“You’ll help them like you did Morgana?” Merlin asked.

“Of course, Emrys. It will take time, but I think they can be redeemed. You should stay until the morning. You’re in no shape to ride back.”

But Merlin refused Iseldir’s invitation. All he wanted was to see Arthur.

He rode toward home, retracing his path from a few days earlier so he could again trade out mounts.

Finally, on the eighth day, he saw the walls of Camelot. Which was a good thing, as he was so tired he could barely stay upright in the saddle, almost falling when his horse stopped in the castle courtyard.

Solid arms caught him before he could tumble to the cobblestones below, offering support as Merlin tried to gain his footing. His legs had other plans, buckling underneath him.

“And you say I’m the cabbagehead,” a low voice gently teased. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

“I can walk on my own,” Merlin protested as those same strong arms lifted him, his feet no longer touching the ground.

“You really can’t,” Arthur replied as he tucked one arm under Merlin’s knees while wrapping the other around his shoulders.

“But everyone will see.”

“Good. That will teach you to run off without me.”

He tried halfheartedly to struggle, but Arthur held him tight, carrying him through the castle doors and up the stairs to their chambers, finally depositing him in a chair.

“Eat,” Arthur commanded, placing a bowl of soup on the table in front of him. “I swear you’ve lost weight since you left.”

Merlin said nothing, and instead inhaled the food. He was ravenous, not having eaten since he’d left Iseldir’s camp.

“I can’t believe you went alone,” Arthur chided him. “There was no need for it. You know you don’t have to hide anymore.”

“Wanted to keep you safe,” Merlin said as he finished the last bites, glad to be done as the spoon was starting to feel heavy.

“Yes well, who’s going to keep _you_ safe? If something had happened to you… Anyway, we should do something about your clothes. They reek.”

Merlin felt his chair slide back, before nimble fingers untied his neckerchief.

“I should burn all of this. It’s not fair to send it to the laundry,” Arthur muttered as he stripped off Merlin’s tunic, then boots and socks. “Lift up a second.”

It took much of Merlin’s remaining energy to raise his hips, but Arthur quickly had his breeches and smallclothes off. Again Merlin found himself in Arthur’s arms, this time being carried to a steaming bath.

“How did you know…” Merlin began as Arthur gently lowered him into the tub.

“One of the benefits of sorcery now being legal,” Arthur said as he rolled up his sleeves and picked up a washcloth, “is that messages can be sent using magic. Iseldir let me know when to expect you.”

The water felt amazing, the warmth soothing his aching muscles after days spent in the saddle. Merlin let his eyes shut as he inhaled the lavender soap. He’d almost nodded off when he felt the gentle movement of the cloth across his body.

Though they’d shared baths together countless times since their relationship had changed, moving from friends to lovers, never once had Arthur tended to him like this. There were no heated kisses or frantic touches, no breathless gasps or loud moans. Not that Merlin was opposed to such things.

Today was different, just Arthur carefully washing away the muck and the grime, both literal and emotional, from Merlin’s exhausting ordeal.

“Duck your head,” Arthur said as his rubbed soap into Merlin’s hair.

Merlin sighed as he resurfaced, enjoying the sensation of fingers massaging his scalp.

“Now lean forward.”

The cloth trailed over his shoulders, then down his spine, Arthur’s hand pulling him back as he finished so that Merlin could recline against the tub wall. He kept his eyes shut as Arthur continued his ministrations, washing Merlin’s chest, then his stomach, then lower.

Merlin’s body responded to Arthur’s touch.

“That’s nice,” he said, as he leaned to kiss Arthur’s neck. “You should climb in. We could…”

“Later,” Arthur replied, lifting him by the arms to pull him from the tub.

“But…”

“You can’t even stand on your own,” Arthur said as he wrapped Merlin up in a large towel. “You need to go to bed.”

“Fine. But only if you come with me.”

Arthur led him to the bed they shared, drawing back the covers before helping him lie down. Merlin thought he’d won, as Arthur stepped out of his boots, stripping off his own tunic and breeches before extinguishing the candles.

A firm body pressed against him from behind as an arm extended around him. Arthur drew the blankets over them both.

He tried his best to reach for his lover, but it was too difficult to move.

“Sleep,” Arthur whispered.

“But…”

“You’re far too tired and so am I. You know I can’t sleep when you’re gone, especially when you’re out doing something stupidly brave and dangerous. Rest for now. And then, when you’re not nodding off in my arms, I’ll show you just how much I missed you.”

Merlin tried to say something in response, to let Arthur know how lonely he’d been without him, how much he loved him. It came out an unintelligible sigh.

“Shh… There’ll be time for that later. For now, just dream with me.”

Arthur’s voice was so soft, so soothing and loving, that Merlin couldn’t help but surrender. Safe in Arthur’s arms, he let sleep claim him.   
  



End file.
